


Tailfins--The Move

by PerrythePlatypusGirl



Series: Head Over Tailfins [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Royalty AU, but she's still a bitch, dayak is part of shiro's entourage now, except keith is human now and the merman stuff won't be relevant till later, merman au, this is more of a transition for the next one haha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 23:46:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16544645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerrythePlatypusGirl/pseuds/PerrythePlatypusGirl
Summary: Now that Keith is human and free to live with Shiro, it's only natural that some other big event happens to shake up their lives.





	1. Chapter 1

As soon as Shiro was able to take a break from whatever princely studies he was working on today, he burst out of his study and began searching frantically around the palace.

"Hey Pidge, have you seen Keith?"

Pidge barely managed to hide the fact that she was rolling her eyes. She pointed with the tiny tool she was holding to a door up the stairs. "I saw him standing at the east balcony earlier. He might still be there. Or he might have gone down to the beach, you know how he is."

"Thanks."

Shiro headed up the large flight of stairs to the place where Pidge had indicated. Sure enough, there was Keith, leaning on the railing and staring wistfully out at the ocean. Shiro paused for a moment just to look. Keith had cut his hair since he'd first arrived here from the ocean all those months ago. Even though Shiro now got to see him all day, every day, Keith never became any less breathtaking.

Shiro stepped forward, getting his boyfriend's attention. Keith smiled widely and Shiro approached to hug him behind. He slowly snaked his arms around Keith's waist and nuzzled into his neck, relishing in the delighted laugh he got in response.

"Hey," Shiro whispered, placing a kiss on Keith's cheek.

Keith leaned into his touch. "Hey yourself. You finally get done?"

Shiro groaned into Keith's shoulder. "For today. There's so much stuff to get through. I envy you for not being the crown prince, you don't have to deal with any of this."

"Oh, you poor baby," Keith teased, reaching up to pat Shiro's head.

Shiro hummed and squeezed him tighter. "Anyway, enough of that. You wanna go down to the beach?"

Keith nodded eagerly. "Yeah. I was just waiting for you so we could go."

"You know you can go down there by yourself."

"I don't want to."

Shiro laughed. He took Keith by the hand and led him toward the stairs, smiling the whole time.

"I still need help getting down the stairs." Keith piped up.

"No you don't, you've had those legs for almost a year," Shiro replied.

"Hey, it's really hard to get used to, okay?" Keith insisted. "Gravity and weight is really weird when you're not underwater."

Shiro smirked. "You know, if you want me to hold you while we walk, all you have to do is ask."

Keith flushed pink, but he didn't try to deny it. Shiro knew that his by now. He'd needed help getting used to walking after his magical transformation from merfolk to human, but he'd been a fast learner. Shiro had quickly picked up on the fact that he was pretending to still need help because he wanted an excuse to cling tightly to Shiro everywhere he went.

Keith grumbled under his breath, but he didn't resist when Shiro put an arm around him and led him down the stairs. They passed by a couple of servants on their way out of the palace, all of whom just sighed and shook their heads at how sappy the two of them continued to be.

When they got down to the beach, Keith wasted no time tossing off his shoes and splashing into the shallow water. He stretched his arms up high above him with the biggest smile on his face, and Shiro immediately went to join him.

"It's so nice out here," Keith remarked. "I'm so glad we can still come here all the time."

"Just like old times, huh?"

Keith hummed in agreement. He climbed on top off their favorite rock, patting the spot beside him for Shiro to sit, which Shiro happily obliged to. It was nostalgic, sitting here with Keith. Just like all those times where the star-crossed merfolk prince and human prince would meet in secret, but now, without the worry that either of them might get hurt.

"So," Keith began. "What have you been studying lately?"

Shiro scoffed. "Ah, you know, the usual. Politics, economics, stuff I don't like thinking about."

"Well, it is your job, Mr. Future King."

"Stop," Shiro groaned. "I want to take a mental break, talk to me about literally anything else."

"Fine." Keith absentmindedly kicked his feet around in the water. "You been down to the marketplace lately?"

"No, why?"

"Nothing really, there's just been some new arrivals setting up shop and I've been meaning to check them out. I go down there every so often, it's pretty fun. Lively, like you said."

Shiro smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I only wish I had time to do the same."

"Nobody's stopping you. You should get out of the palace more, and not just walk down to the beach. It gets kinda lonely going out there by myself."

"You go by yourself?" Shiro asked with a frown. "Shouldn't you take Matt, or one of the other guards with you?"

Keith frowned. "I don't need a bodyguard, Shiro, I can take care of myself."

"I know that, but--well, _I_ never go into town without a guard. It's safer. It's not that I don't trust our citizens but some people aren't...the biggest fans of royalty."

"Relax," replied Keith. "Pretty much no one outside the palace knows who I am or what I look like. In fact, bringing a royal guard would probably just tip people off that I'm royalty in the first place."

Shiro paused to consider this. "I...guess so."

"You worry too much," Keith told him, scooting closer to lay his head on Shiro's shoulder.

Shiro smiled again and put an arm around him. "I love you too much."

"Then _trust_ me. I'll be fine."

"Ok, Keith. I won't tell you what to do. I just want you to be safe."

Keith smiled up at him. "If you want me to have a bodyguard so bad, you can do it."

"I'm the prince," Shiro replied with a smirk. "That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?"

"Then I'll be _your_ bodyguard." He pouted. "Either way, you should seriously take some time off and go have more fun in your actual kingdom, before you become king, and then you'll really have no time."

Shiro scoffed. "Hopefully that won't be anytime soon."

"You wanna go right now?"

Shiro pressed his lips together. "I...should really get back to my work soon..."

Keith pulled away from him and shrugged. "Ok then. I guess I'll just go back to being lonely."

"Ugh, you had to go there. Fine, fine, we can go."

Keith beamed and hopped off the rock, dragging Shiro with him by the hand. "Great! You can help me figure out what some of these celebrations are about. People just seem to party all the time and nobody explains why."

"That's why you shouldn't go alone."

"I've got you now."

"Oh, I see, this is just a ploy to go with _me_ specifically."

"Shush."

Shiro chuckled to himself as Keith pulled him along. And to think that months ago, he and Keith weren't able to go anywhere but the beach. Now he could go anywhere he wanted with the love of his life, and he could get away from his responsibilities. His life was perfect.  
\---  
When Shiro and Keith returned to the palace, arms full with special deals and dumb gifts for each other, it was clear that something had changed. There was a carriage in front of the door, one that Shiro recognized instantly.

Keith looked confused. "What's going on?"

Shiro frowned. "I don't know. Let's go find out."

They walked up to the large palace doors, where Matt was waiting for them dutifully.

"Prince Shiro, you're back," said Matt. "A message just came to you from Central."

"Central?" Keith asked.

"Central Palace, in the middle of Arus," Matt explained. "The one where the king lives."

Shiro was still frowning. "My father sent me a message?"

Matt nodded. "Yes, but the messenger refused tell us until you arrived yourself. He's in the main hall right now."

Shiro nodded hesitantly. He and Keith both followed Matt inside, placing their stuff on a table before heading into the main hall.

Keith looked up curiously at Shiro, who now looked more frustrated and anxious than before. So much for getting him to relax.

The other palace staff were gathered in the hall, and the messenger wasn't too hard to spot. He was tall, with a long nose and a snobbish air about him, though he didn't seem to be having trouble making small talk with the palace staff.

When Shiro arrived, he immediately turned to him and bowed dutifully.

"Your Highness," the messenger drawled. "It's been years. So wonderful to see you again."

Shiro didn't know who this was, but he greeted him back. "Likewise. What brings you here?"

The messenger hesitated. "Well, I bring...regrettable news from Central. It's about your father, the king."

"What does he want from me now?" Shiro snapped.

The messenger blinked. "I-I'm afraid he can't possibly want anything from you. He is dead."

The room went dead silent.

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Shiro's face fell. Keith stared up at him in concern.

"Wh-what?" Shiro stammered. "What do you mean?"

"He suddenly fell ill last week," the messenger explained sadly. "We did everything we could, but he died shortly after. I am so sorry."

The others in the room started to whisper, but Shiro didn't move.

When Shiro didn't respond, the messenger continued. "I was also sent here to fetch you. You're next in line for the throne. We have several agreements in the works with other kingdoms, and we need a king to oversee them. Your coronation has already been planned for the week after next"

"I-I..." Shiro barely managed. Keith's heart ached and he immediately reached out to touch his shoulder.

The messenger looked down solemnly. "I can see you need some time to yourself. Forgive me, Your Highness. We will discuss this again later."

Shiro nodded. Without another word, he walked past everyone in the room, up the stairs to his bedroom.

"Oh man..." Hunk murmured.

Keith gulped. He waved a hand to signal everyone to get back to work, and headed up the stairs to where Shiro had gone.

Keith slowly opened the door to their shared bedroom, poking his head in to avoid startling his boyfriend. "Shiro?" He called softly.

Shiro was sitting on the edge of the bed, hunched over with an expression of shock on his face. He looked up briefly at Keith, but then went back to staring at the floor.

Keith closed the door behind him and walked over. He sat down next to Shiro and gently placed a hand on his shoulder again. "I'm so sorry," he said softly. "I knew what it's like to lose a dad."

Shiro closed his eyes and gulped, trying to contain himself. "W-we didn't really get along too well," he whispered. "You probably noticed that. We were on better terms when I was a kid, and I guess...deep down, I hoped that...maybe one day we could reconcile."

The reality finally seemed to sink in. Shiro started to wipe away the tears that had suddenly appeared, but Keith wouldn't let him bottle it all up like that. He scooted closer and pulled Shiro into his arms. Shiro gave in right away. He clung tightly to the back of Keith's jacket and allowed himself to cry. He never thought he'd cry over his dad.

Keith just held him, rubbing his back comfortingly. "It's gonna be okay, Shiro. I'm here. I've got you."

Shiro was done in a few seconds, replying to Keith with some sniffles. He pulled away, wiping the remaining tears from his face, but then leaned in again. His forehead rested against Keith, and he was already exhausted. They were probably going to be here for a little while, but Keith didn't mind that.

\---

Hours later, Shiro was stable enough to go back and talk to the messenger about what would be done now. Keith was there, but he was too busy watching and worrying about Shiro to pay attention to what was being said.

It wasn't until they were alone again that Shiro finally reminded him what was going on.

"I'm going to be the King of Arus."

Keith turned to Shiro to see him staring gravely out the window.

"They want me to be the king, Keith," he continued, as if he couldn't believe it himself.

Keith hesitated, then walked over to stand next to him. "Yeah, that's...that's what you've been preparing for since you were young, isn't it?"

"But I still don't know if I'm ready," Shiro admitted, uncertainty creeping back into his voice. "This isn't studies, this isn't simulations, this is the real thing. If I make a mistake..."

Keith stopped him with another touch. "Shiro, it's gonna be okay," he repeated. "You've been preparing for this your whole life. You're smart, and courageous, and you're going to be a great leader. I know you will."

Shiro blinked at him. "How are you so sure?"

"I wouldn't have fallen in love with you if it wasn't true."

Shiro finally smiled, and that was mission accomplished for Keith.

"Let's just take this thing one thing at a time," said Keith.

"Yeah, you're right," Shiro replied. "We need to focus on moving out of here first."

Keith blinked, surprised. "Move?"

"Yeah, didn't you hear what the messenger said? We're moving to the Central Palace. I can't rule from out here. I'm taking you and some of the servants with me."

Now it was Keith's turn to be shocked. "O-oh." He looked out the same window as Shiro, where he got a clear view of the beach. _Their_ beach. The ocean. "Y-yeah, I...guess you can't rule a kingdom if you're living on the outside edge of it like this..."

Shiro seemed to know what he was thinking. "You're going to miss the ocean, aren't you?"

Keith nodded. "It's...the only connection I have to my old life."

"...Do you want to stay here?"

Keith whipped his head to look at him. "What?"

Shiro looked down. "You don't have to come with me. I'm the only one who has to go to the big palace, but if you'd be happier staying out here, you can."

Keith gaped. "Wh-no, that would mean we'd be separated. I'm not staying here without you."

"Are you sure?" asked Shiro. "Central is nothing like here. There's no view of the water, and the air is probably way more polluted, and--"

"I don't care," Keith replied. "I already gave up my home and went through a magical transformation to be with you, I don't want us to be a apart." He reached out to take Shiro's hands and looked him dead in the eye. "I'm with _you,_ Shiro. No matter what I have to sacrifice."

Shiro looked like he was going to cry again. "Oh, Keith." He leaned forward and kissed him lovingly on the mouth, hugging him close afterward. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Keith just smiled, letting any feeling of unease melt away. 

Less than a week later, they were on their way. After saying goodbye to all their friends (including Lance, who almost made them all late via his tearful goodbyes with Hunk and Pidge), Shiro, Keith, the servants they brought with them, and all their belongings were loaded up into the carriages.

When they started moving, Keith took one last look at the ocean, letting the breeze hit his face. Then he pulled the curtain over the window, and focused his attention on Shiro. "Here we go."

Shiro smiled tightly. "Yeah."  
\---  
"Keith? Keith? Wake up, love, we're almost there."

Keith startled awake at Shiro's voice, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. He didn't remember falling asleep, but it probably couldn't be helped. The trip was long, the carriage was comfortable, and the sun was warm.

But the atmosphere had changed, Keith could tell. It already felt noisier and more lively than even the most populated areas in the seaside part of the kingdom. Keith pulled the curtain back from the window, eyes widening as he took in the huge urban landscape spiraling before him.

"Whoa," he whispered.

Shiro had that same smile on his face from before. "Welcome to the heart of Arus."

"It's huge," said Keith. "I never realized just how big your kingdom is."

"Yeah, can't wait to be managing it all," Shiro sighed. "But on the bright side, there's a lot more to explore."

"Yeah, I bet there's a whole lot of--" he suddenly burst into a fit of coughs, and immediately pulled the curtain closed again.

Shiro turned to him. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah," said Keith, clearing his throat of whatever he's inhaled. "The air here is...different. Hotter."

"Polluted," Shiro repeated. "Smells just as bad as I remember. But as long as you stay away from the factories, you should be fine."

The Central Palace was enormous. It looked around five times bigger than the Seaside one, which was already pretty large. The carriages pulled to a stop just past the gates, and everyone began to unload and stretch their legs.

Pidge and Hunk were gaping up in awe at the gargantuan building, but Shiro just looked bored.

"Home sweet home," he muttered.

As soon as they stepped inside, Shiro and Keith were swarmed by servants ready to receive them. Shiro was almost swept away from Keith, but that stopped pretty quickly when someone, probably an advisor, appeared to greet Shiro herself.

"Your Highness," the woman began, in the same drawling voice that the messenger had, "It's a pleasure to see you again. My deepest condolences about your father."

"You were closer to him than I was, Dayak." Shiro replied. "I should be the one comforting you."

"Ah, I appreciate it, but he was your father."

"...yeah."

Dayak turned to Keith, raising an eyebrow in restrained curiosity. "And who might this young man be, standing so close to you?"

"This is Keith," Shiro replied, gesturing to him. "He's my boyfriend."

Keith expected some sort of greeting, but instead the woman looked him up and down with the faintest expression of disapproval.

"I see," Dayak said shortly. Then she turned back to Shiro as if Keith wasn't there. "Anyway, I imagine you're exhausted from your travels, let me show you to your quarters."

"Thank you," Shiro sighed. Dayak and the servants guided them through the palace, and Shiro made a point of holding Keith's hand as they went.

"I hate to inconvenience you, Your Highness," Dayak continued as she walked. "But the coronation ceremony is in two days, and there's much to be done. You may rest for a few hours, then I will send someone to come get you."

"Of course," Shiro replied. He'd been keeping his replies awfully short since they'd gotten here.

They reached the bedroom, and Dayak held the door open for both of them. "Rest well. I will be back for you soon."

Shiro nodded curtly and stepped inside. Keith followed, making eye contact with Dayak and getting that slightly disapproving glance once more.

Dayak grumbled to herself as she closed the door and walked away. "Where did that boy come from...?"

Inside the bedroom, Shiro quickly plopped himself down on a cushioned chair nearby with a long sigh. "Ah, man. Should've taken a nap like you."

Keith smiled briefly, but looked back at the door with a frown. "I don't think that lady likes me."

"She's going to respect you whether she likes it or not."

"...I guess," Keith grumbled. He then turned his attention to exploring the room, which was, as expected, gigantic. Keith walked to the other side and opened up the huge window, hesitating when he once again saw nothing but land and buildings. "The view is different out here," he said softly.

He turned around to where Shiro was sitting, hand resting on his cheek and looking like he was going to fall asleep. Keith smiled fondly and walked over, gently shaking him awake.

"You should probably use the bed if you're going to nap."

Shiro blinked wearily, and nodded. He picked himself off the chair and headed toward the huge satin bed, gently tugging Keith along. Keith happily followed.

Keith sat down on the bed, legs stretched out. Shiro crawled in to lay beside him, head resting on Keith's chest as he sighed again.

Keith softly ran his fingers through Shiro's hair. "You're tense," he told him. "Rest, Shiro. You deserve it."

Shiro nodded sleepily again, and Keith could feel his body relax as he drifted away against him.  
\---  
Coronation day came too fast, too soon. Keith was with Shiro as he finished getting ready, helping him smooth out the folds on his ceremonial royal clothes, and also trying to get rid of that tension.

"You still nervous?" Keith asked.

"Terrified."

Keith reached up to touch his face, looking him dead in the eye and leaning in close. "I told you, Shiro. You're going to be amazing." He gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'll be waiting for you in there. I love you."

Shiro just nodded.

Keith headed into the church and sat down near the front, earning curious stares from the other guests. He paid them no mind.

When Shiro entered, his demeanor had shifted from when Keith had seen him just minutes ago. He was powerful in his robes, emanating the energy of someone ready to take charge. Even when kneeling to receive the crown, he was intimidating. Keith had never seen him like this.

The only crack in his facade came at the small glance he gave Keith during the prayer. But he probably fooled everyone else.

"And now," the voice seemed to book through the room now. "By the power vested in me, I present your new ruler: King Takashi Shirogane of Arus."


	2. Chapter 2

Keith awoke in the morning alone.

He vaguely recalled a dreamlike memory, one of being awoken by an opening door and Shiro quietly telling him to go back to sleep.

He was used to waking up in Shiro's arms. Now he was hugging a pillow.

It wasn't quite the same.

Keith opened the window for some air—even with some distance between them and the factories, it still smelled—and got dressed on his own. He remembered his first day here when the stifling servants had tried to dress him, bathe him and essentially treat him like he couldn't take care of himself. He may have grown up as a prince, but he'd never allowed anyone to treat him like that. He hoped the servants didn't hold a grudge after his outburst, but he preferred to be independent.

Keith coughed lightly at the smell coming from outside, then decided to get out of the room. The palace was huge, and even after being here for a while, he still had a lot of exploring to do to keep him myself occupied. Not to mention the entire rest of the kingdom. Shiro being busy was nothing new, he'd fill his time the best he could.

Keith headed carefully down one of the many giant staircases and went down a hallway he didn't remember exploring yet. He wasn't too worried about getting lost.

This part of the palace seemed less ornate and gaudy, he noticed, and as he continued walking around he heard voices speaking, joyfully and informally. He must have stumbled across the servants' quarters. Maybe he'd be able to find some of the transfers from Seaside to keep him company.

He peeked into some of the rooms, earning a few surprised glances from the people inside but otherwise not disturbing them. They didn't recognize him, but they definitely noticed how nicely he was dressed. Keith felt a little out of place. The servants at Seaside never made him feel like this. Where were they?

He realized that he'd never get anywhere wandering around like this, so he approached one of the female servants standing by herself.

"Excuse me, miss, do you know where I can find Hunk and Pidge?"

She turned to stare in bewilderment, and for a moment Keith wondered if he had something on his face. Then she bowed her head and started talking shakily.

"Ah, Hunk and Pidge, they are...the new transfers? I believe I saw them head down to the recreation room."

"Thank you."

Another bewildered stare. "Y...you're welcome."

It seemed like she wasn't used to people of authority treating her politely.

It didn't take Keith too long to find the area where the woman had indicated. Thankfully, Hunk and Pidge were indeed in there, sitting on tables, tinkering with random objects, goofing off as usual. Hunk was also talking to a young lady that Keith didn't recognize.

Keith smiled. He knocked softly on the inside of the door, causing all three of them to look up.

Pidge and Hunk quickly jumped off the couch and bowed briefly.

"Hey, Prince Keith!" said Pidge.

"It's so good to see you, man!" Hunk added. "We thought you'd vanished entirely after the coronation."

Keith chuckled. "It's been pretty hectic since we got here. I've either been helping out Shiro or wandering a different part of the palace."

"Pssh, and you only just now thought to come see us," Pidge replied. "I thought we were your friends."

Hunk elbowed her, but otherwise didn't protest. "So how come you're not hanging out with Prince Shi--I mean _King_ Shiro now? Man, that's still weird to say."

Keith frowned. "I actually haven't seen him all morning. You guys wouldn't happen to know where he went, would you?"

The young woman next to them finally cleared her throat. "Well, your Highness," she spoke shyly. "He's probably meeting with his advisors over in the conference room. There was a big negotiation with the kingdom of Olkarion in the works, and they need to catch him up on the details before the ambassador arrives."

Keith blinked. "Oh."

Hunk grinned widely and gestured to the woman. "Oh yeah, you two haven't met yet. Prince Keith, this is Shay. She's one of the servants here. She's been helping us get around since we got here."

Shay bowed politely. "Very nice to meet you, Your Highness."

"Likewise," said Keith. "Do you know how long these meetings typically last?"

Shay frowned. "Well, it really depends--the previous king could stay in those meetings all day."

Keith winced. "I see."

"You can hang with out with us, if you want," Pidge offered. "Shay was just about to show us some of the palace gardens."

Keith shrugged and nodded.

They started down the hallways of the palace. Hunk and Shay walked in front, talking animatedly to each other, and Pidge walked next to Keith, quietly tinkering. Once again, Keith felt out of place and he got stares from the other workers.

The gardens outside were beautiful, as expected, not much different from the ones he used to take walks in before. The other three were already frolicking away, but Keith was content to just kneel down and observe the flowers.

"The air is so dry here," he commented.

"Yeah, it's nothing like Seaside," said Pidge. "We'll get used to it soon, I hope."

Keith nodded slowly. He was never bad at adapting, but he still didn't feel completely comfortable here yet. Maybe he was just lonely without Shiro in an unfamiliar place.

He'd see Shiro soon enough. For now, he's just have to kill time and enjoy this as much as he could.  
\---  
Keith didn't see Shiro again until that night, and the poor man was exhausted. He was barely able to tell Keith bits and pieces about what had happened before falling asleep, probably because he couldn't help himself.

Keith wasn't going to wake him. He simply leaned over to kiss Shiro's cheek, and resolved to wait until all this "catching up" stuff was over.  
\---  
Pidge, Hunk and Shay were with Keith for a few days after that, every time going to explore a new part of the palace, and sometimes areas around it. They were great company, and while Keith enjoyed exploring with them, he was getting a bit impatient.

He'd been seeing a lot less of Shiro lately. Any of his breaks between political duties didn't last long, and at night he was always too tired to spend much time with Keith before falling asleep.

Keith really didn't blame him. Shiro had an entire country to run, a very big country, evidently. It was selfish, he knew, but he missed his boyfriend. Exploring the world of humans became a lot less fun if he didn't have Shiro to share it with. The fact that he was in such a new environment made everything worse. Without a view of the ocean, the kingdom seemed to stretch on forever--just like the amount of time Shiro spent away from him.

Of course, he would never actually tell Shiro any of this. He already had enough on his plate, and Keith didn't want to be another burden. But it still felt like he should get to see him for a short while when he wanted to. The palace staff had kept Shiro occupied for days on end, surely a few hours with his boyfriend wasn't too much to ask for.

So, that afternoon, Keith excused himself from exploring with his friends and headed straight to the conference room. The doors were closed when he got there, a couple of armored guards standing out front.

"Is the king in there?" Keith asked one of them.

"Yes, sir, he's with his advisors right now."

"Go inside and tell him to come see me."

The guard paused. "S-sire, they have been asked not to be disturbed. This is incredibly important--"

"He'll come out to see me," Keith snapped, annoyed. "Go get him."

The guard was silent for a moment, then he turned and opened the door.

A stern voice suddenly called out from behind him. "Is there an emergency?"

Keith jumped, then turned around to see Dayak, having apparently materialized behind him and still wearing that vaguely disapproving frown.

"What?" asked Keith.

"You're requesting to see the king," Dayak replied. "Rather urgently. Is there an emergency?"

Keith frowned. "No. No emergency. I just don't believe he should be cooped up in there for the whole day."

Dayak said nothing for a moment, and appeared to be almost studying him. "I see," she replied simply. "Well, while we're waiting, I've actually been meaning to talk to you, your Highness."

Keith suddenly felt uneasy. "About what?"

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you and the king meet? I certainly didn't expect him to find...a _lover_ way out at Seaside."

Keith froze, blinking at this question. The way she asked it was already disconcerting enough, but now he had to answer. Allura definitely didn't want more humans knowing about the existence of merfolk. And Keith wasn't the best liar.

"Uh...the beach," Keith finally said. "We met at the beach."

Partial truths. He'd stick to partial truths.

"The beach?" Dayak repeated skeptically.

"That's right. I was visiting the beach at Seaside and that's where I met him."

"A little strange that a royal prince would get involved with a random commoner visiting the beach."

Keith bristled. "I'm not a commoner. I'm a prince."

Dayak looked surprised. "Really? I didn't realize. Of which kingdom?"

"The kingdom of...Puig," Keith replied, recalling one of the neighboring kingdoms he'd read about. "My older sister took the throne, so I was free to travel and...meet someone."

Dayak continued staring with narrowed eyes. Keith worried that she wasn't buying it, but then she shrugged. "Well, I guess that explains your behavior," she muttered. "However, as a prince, surely you understand that the king has duties, right?"

Keith gulped. "Yes, but--"

"And surely you understand that when one is responsible for an entire kingdom full of people, they have no room to be distracted by personal desires?"

Keith didn't reply, not sure whether to be angry or hurt.

"I'm sure you both want to see each other," Dayak drawled. "But with all due respect, it is incredibly irresponsible to ask him to step away from his duties to come see you. He's not longer a prince on the fringes of the country anymore. The kingdom comes first. I'm afraid he won't have time to give you the romantic attention you want anymore."

It was selfish. He knew.

The door next to them opened suddenly, and out popped Shiro. Keith was actually a bit surprised to see him come out.

"Keith! You wanted to see me, love? What's going on?"

Keith blinked. He noticed Dayak slinking away, then turned back to Shiro. There were thick bags under Shiro's eyes and he generally looked tired already. That didn't make Keith feel any better about demanding his attention.

"Uh...yeah, I did call you."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong, I just wanted to see you. You've been in meetings all day."

Shiro blinked, and then released a long, heavy sigh. "Yeah," he conceded. "These negotiations are so...long, and boring, and complicated." He gulped. "I'm so sorry darling, but they're incredibly important. I'm not really able to leave right now."

Keith gulped down his sadness, and then forced a smile. "I-it's alright, I understand. I won't come between you and your duties. I'll be able to see you tonight, right?"

"...right."

Keith brought their foreheads together and nuzzled Shiro's nose as if nothing was wrong. "Then I'll wait until then. Sorry to bother you. Go back and finish your meeting."

Shiro didn't seem satisfied. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Shiro. I'll see you tonight." And with that, he turned and headed literally anywhere else.

He ended up back in the bedroom, coughing at the dry air that came through the window. He slammed it closed, then flopped himself on the bed.

He hated this place.  
\---

Keith wasn't sure how long he spent moping, but when Shiro opened the door to their room, Keith knew it was too early.

"Are you done already?" Keith asked, surprised.

Shiro shook his head. "No, but we were close enough. I ended it early."

"Why? I thought they would force you to stay forever like they've been doing since we got here."

Shiro gave a bitter scoff. "I'm the king. What are they going to do? _Order_ me to stay?"

Keith wanted to laugh, but he just wasn't feeling it.

Shiro was quiet, then he sat down next to Keith. "What's wrong, Keith?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"I know you better than that, love," Shiro retorted, still obviously tired. "Please, just let me help."

Keith just heaved a long, heavy sigh. "I don't really know how to put it into words. Everything's been so different."

"Do you miss home?"

"Yes," Keith whispered. "But more importantly, I miss _you._ I miss when you would be able to take breaks and we could be together, I miss going going to the beach with you, I miss _talking_ to you. I barely even get to see you anymore. I know it hasn't been that long, but God, it's just so _jarring_ and I don't have you _or_ the ocean to calm me down. And I don't want to bother you, you have so much to worry about, but it just feels like...like no matter what happens, there's always something keeping us from being together. I don't know what to do."

The sadness in Shiro's eyes grew with every word Keith said. Keith buried his head in his knees, guilty.

"I'm sorry," Keith whispered. "I know I'm being selfish."

"You're not being selfish," Shiro replied quickly, softly. He gently took Keith's hand in his own, stroking it softly with his thumb. "At least, not any more selfish than me. All I can think about when I'm in there is how much I want to be with you."

Keith looked back up at him. "Then why don't you just...stop the meetings for a while?"

"There's too much to discuss," Shiro lamented. "I can't just ignore it." He paused, face twisting into a frown. "My father left a lot of messes behind for me to clean up. I don't think the people here have realized yet that I'm not him."

Neither of them said anything for a moment.

"...but you know what?" Shiro finally spoke, squeezing Keith's hand. "You're important too. I'm sorry, Keith. The last thing I wanted was to make you unhappy."

Keith gulped. "It's not your fault..."

"Maybe not, but I can still change it. After this whole thing with Olkarion is figured out, I'm going to stop all these stupid all-day meetings. They're not good for anybody."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "You'd change the way an entire kingdom operates just so you can spend time with me?"

Shiro grinned and touched their foreheads together. "Of course," he told him. "You're the most important person in the world to me. The rest of the world can burn for all I care."

At last, a smile appeared on Keith's face. "Don't say that."

"I mean it."

_"Don't._ You're better than that." Keith gave him a playful smack on the shoulder, which just made Shiro grin even wider. "...but thanks, Shiro. It means a lot that you'd do that for me."

Shiro's hand moved up to cup Keith's face. "Anytime, my darling. I love you. So much."

Keith flushed as Shiro pulled him gently into a kiss. He sighed into it, having been deprived of it for so long. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, deepening the kiss and hoping Shiro could tell just _how_ much he'd missed him.

A few seconds later, Shiro pulled away ever so slightly. "Also, I've been thinking," he murmured. "We could still go back to Seaside every now and then."

Keith's eyes widened.

"My dad used to go there sometimes," Shiro continued. "I bet we could go on vacation every once in a while and go back to the beach."

Keith beamed. "That sounds like a great idea."

Shiro smiled and hugged him closer. "I don't know how soon, but the second we can take a vacation, we will--I know how much you don't like the inland environment."

"I can adapt," Keith shrugged. "As long as you're around, it doesn't matter where we are."

Shiro smiled wider, going in for another kiss. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."


End file.
